Dispensing mechanism for vending machines



Oct. 18, 1960 R. D. STAYTON DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 17, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

F B H r 7 3 I 9 5 v. 6, 91/ H 0 HI 1 B a I u 2 Haw Oct. 18, 1960 R. n. STAYTON DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 17, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 18, 1960 R. n. STAYTON DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 17, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES Robert D. Stayton, St. Louis, Mo., assignor, by mesne assignments, to National Vendors, Inc., a corporation of Missouri Filed Nov. 17, 1955, Ser. No. 547,485

'12 'Claims. (Cl. 221-90) This invention relates to dispensing mechanism for vending machines, and more particularly to a magazine type of article-dispensing mechanism of the class in which articles such as candy bars are placed on tiltable shelves, one above another, and dispensed by successively tripping the shelves, starting with the lowermost shelf.

Among the several objects of the invent-ion may be noted the provision of improved and simplified dispensing mechanism of the class described which enables the width of a magazine to be kept to a minimum, whereby the width of a vending machine cabinet in which a plurality of magazines are housed side-by-side may be kept to a minimum; the provision of a mechanism of the class described in which the shelves may be easily reset to =article-holding position; the provision of mechanism of the class described having means for locking the mechanism out of operation upon the tilting of the uppermost shelf and the concomitant dispensing of the last article from the magazine; and the provision of a mechanism of the class described which is economical to construct and reliable in operation. Other objects and features will bein part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims. i

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated.

-Fig. 1 is -a side elevation of a dispensing mechanism Fig. l.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings- Referring to the drawings, a magazine-type dispensing mechanism of this invention is shown as comprising vertical side plates 1 and 3 and a plurality of pivoted article-carrying shelves located between the side plates one above another. For simplifying the disclosure only three shelves are shown. It will be understood, however,

'Fig. 8 is' a horizontal section taken on line 8- 18 of of the plates 1 and 3. The shelves are all identical, each being pivotally mounted by means of a pivot pin 13 which extends horizontally between the side plates. Each shelf has a downwardly directed flange 15 at its rearward end. The flange is provided with means such as indicated at 17 at its lower edge receiving the pivot pin for the shelf. Each shelf, on the back of its flange 15, carries a notched latch lug 19 and a cam lug 21.

The shelves, due to their weight, tend to swing downward on their pivot pins. For latching the shelves in the horizontal article-carrying position in which they are illustrated in Fig. 3, the dispensing mechanism includes latches, one for each shelf, each latch being cooperable with the notched latch lug 19 on a respective shelf. The latches are all identical, the latch for the lowermost shelf 5a being designated 2312, the latch for the next shelf 5b being designated 23b, and the latch for the uppermost shelf 50 being designated 23c. The latches are mounted for vertical sliding movement on a fixed bar 25 mounted to extend vertically at the rear of the shelves and between the side plates by means of brackets 27 and 29. As shown, each latch is mounted for limited vertical sliding movement on the bar 25 by having a stud 31 slidable in a vertical slot 33 in the bar. Each latch also has a lateral rear flange 35 slidable against the rear edge of the bar, and a lateral forward finger 37 which. extends across the forward edge of the bar and which is adapted to engage in the notch in the latch lug 19 of the respective shelf when the latch is in a downward position to latch the shelf in horizontal article-carrying position. The notch in each lug is designated 39. It opens upward. Fig. 3 shows all the shelves latched in horizontal position. By raising the latch for a given shelf, the finger 37 of the latch is moved out of the notch 39 in the lug '19 of that shelf and the shelf is thereby freed to swing downward.

Each latch 23a, 23b, 230 also has a downwardly extending laterally offset finger 41. Located alongside the fixed bar 25 is a vertically .shiftable release bar 43. This release bar has an elongate slot 45 toward its upper end receiving a stud47 on a bracket 49. A vertical mechanism plate 51 is mounted between the side plates 1 and 3 below the lowermost shell. This plate is located adjacent and parallel to the right side plate 1. It has a lower portion 53 provided with a rear flange 55 by means of which it is secured to the strap 11, and an upper portion 57 offset toward the left side plate 3. The upper portion 57 has a narrow rear flange 59. The lower end portion of the release bar is guided for vertical sliding movement by the flange 59 and a clip 61 attached to the upper portion 57 of plate 51.

The release bar normally occupies the lowered position shown in Figs. 46 determined by engagement of the upper end of slot 45 with the stud 47. It carries a pin 63 for engaging the finger 41 of the lowermostv or first latch 23a and raising this latch when lifted from the stated lowered position. A pusher lever 65a is pivoted at 67 on the release bar above the pin 63 and biasedtoward an operative position for engaging under the finger 41 of the second latch 23b by a spring 69a. The lever 65a is held out of its operative position by the cam lug 21 on the first shelf 5a when the first shelf is in its horizontal. A second pusher lever 65b is pivoted at 71 on the release bar above the first pusher lever and biased by a that a commercial embodiment of the invention will have more than three shelves. The lowermost or first shelf is designated 5a, the next shelf 5b and the uppermost shelf 50. Straps 7, 9 and 11 extend across the rear .of the side plates 1 and 3. These straps are fastened at their ends to inwardly directed rear flanges 1a and 3a I spring 6912 like spring 69a toward an operative position for engaging under the finger 41 of the third latch 23c;

The lever 69b is held out of its operative position by the cam lug 21 on the second shelf 5b when the second shelf is in its horizontal position. Each of levers 65a and 65b (which are identical) has an car 73 engageable with the rear edge of the release bar 43 for limiting its swinging movement under the bias of the respective spring 69a or 69b and determining the operative position of the lever.

Pivoted at 75 on the face of the lower portion 53 of plate 51 toward the right side plate 1 is a bellcrank lever 77. A pin 79 extends from the end of one arm of the bellcrank lever through a slot 81 in the right side plate 1. A push-pull rod 33 located on the outside of the right side plate 1 has a slot 85 receiving the pin 79. This rod extends forward through a slot 87 in an outwardly directed flange 89 at the forward edge of the right side plate 1. A link 91 is pinned at 93 to the end of the other arm of the bellcrank lever 77 and hangs downward therefrom. A stud 95 projects laterally from the lower end of the link 91 through an opening 97 in the lower portion 53 of plate 51. A spring 99 attached at one end to the plate 51 and at its other end to the link 91 biases the link to swing rearward. The lower end of the release bar 43 has a forwardly extending finger 101 under which the stud 95 is adapted to engage for raising the release bar.

When the bellcrank lever 77 is rocked clockwise from the retracted position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 4 by pulling the rod 83 forward, the link 91 moves downward and swings rearward, and the stud 95 engages under the finger 101. When the rod 83 is pushed back, the bellcrank lever 77 is returned to its retracted position, rocking counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4. This lifts the link 91, and the stud 95 thereupon raises the release bar 43. The opening 97 is shaped as indicated at 103 to cam the stud 95 from under the finger 101 when the stud nears the upper end of the opening, thereby releasing the release bar and permitting it to drop downward to its lowered position under its own weight.

Assuming that the shelves a, 5b and 5c are all latched in their horizontal position (see Fig. 3), and that each shelf is carrying an article such as a bar of candy, the first time the bellcrank lever 77 is rocked clockwise from its retracted position and then back to retracted position by pulling out the rod 83 and then pushing it back, the release bar 43 is raised by the stud 95, and

the pin 63 engages finger 41 on the first latch 23a to raise the latter and free the first shelf 5a. This shelf then swings downward to the lowered position shown in Fig. 5 (and shown in dotted lines in Fig. l) to dispense the article thereon. As the bellcrank lever 77 returns to its retracted position, stud 95 is moved forward from under the finger 101, and the release bar drops down to its lowered position. When the shelf 5a swings downward, the cam lug 21 thereon moves away from the pusher lever 65a, allowing the latter to swing into the operative position shown in Fig. 5 wherein it is positioned to engage the finger 41 on the second latch mem ber 23b. The next time the bellcrank is rocked forward and back by pulling out and pushing in the rod 83, the release bar 43 is again raised and the lever 65:: thereon engages the finger 41 on the second latch 23b and moves the latter upward to free the second shelf 5b, whereupon the second shelf swings downward to its lowered position shown in Fig. 6 to dispense the article thereon. As the bellcrank lever 77 returns to its retracted position, stud 95 is moved forward from under the finger 101, and the release bar drops down to its lowered position. When the second shelf 5b swings downward, the cam lug 21 on the second shelf moves away from the lever 65b, allowing the lever 65b to swing into operative position for engagement with the finger 41 on the third latch 23c. Then the next time the bellcrank is rocked forward and back, the release bar 43 is again raised, the lever 65b engages the finger 41 on the third latch 23c, and moves the latter upward to free the third shelf 50, whereupon the third shelf swings downward to its lowered position shown in Fig. 6 to dispense the article thereon, and again the release bar drops down to its lowered position.

When the shelf 50 swings downward to dispense the last article, locking means generally indicated at 105 comes into play for locking the bellcrank lever 77 against movement. This locking means comprises a bellcrank lever 107 pivoted at 109 on the side plate 1. One arm of this lever engages the upper shelf 50 when the shelf is in its horizontal position. A link 111 connects the other arm of the lever 107 to a latch 113 pivoted at 115 on the plate 51. When the shelf 5c is horizontal, the latch 113 is held raised out of engagement with a pin 117 on the bellcrank lever 77 so that the latter is free to rock forward. However, when the shelf 5c swings downward, the latch 113 is lowered into position for engage ment by the pin 117 on the bellcrank lever 77 so that the latter cannot be rocked forward. Thus, the dispensing mechanism is locked out of operation when empty.

Lifting mechanism as indicated at 119 is provided for swinging the lowermost shelf 51: back into its horizontal position for reloading. The remaining shelves 5b and 5c are moved back into horizontal position after shelf 5a has been raised simply by lifting up their forward ends. The pivoting of the shelves at the lower edges of the flanges 15 facilitates the lifting of the shelves because it provides for the forward end of a given shelf to project forward beyond the forward edge of the next shelf below when the latter is raised to horizontal position. The lifting means 119 is provided because in the vending machine in which the dispensing mechanism is used, access to the forward end of the shelf 5a is blocked when this shelf is in lowered position. The lifting means is shown as comprising a vertically shiftable bar 121 carrying an arm 12.5 having a roller 125 thereon for engaging a strut 126 on the bottom of shelf 5a. Bar 121 is adapted to be raised by means of a lever 127 and a link 129 connecting the lever and the bar. The forward end of lever 127 is readily accessible on opening the vending machine cabinet (not shown).

From the above, it will be seen that the width of the magazine constituted by the side plates 1 and 3 and the shelves 5a, 5b, etc., need be only slightly wider than the shelves. This is permitted by reason of the fact that the release mechanism for the shelves, apart from the rod 83, is located wholly at the rear of the magazine behind the shelves, and hence does not take up any space alongside the magazine. It will be understood that the invention as herein disclosed will be incorporated in a vending machine having a plurality of magazines side-by-side, and since the width of each magazine is kept to a minimum, the width of the vending machine is kept to a minimum.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense, except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Article-dispensing mechanism comprising a magazine having side plates and being open at the front, a plurality of shelves mounted between the side plates one above another for pivotal movement about horizontal axes transverse to said plates, said axes being located toward the rear of the magazine and spaced from the rear edges of the side plates, a series of latches, one for each shelf, located between the side plates in the rear of the shelves, said latches being mounted for movement independently of one another into and out of latching engagement with the shelves and normally occupying a latching position for holding the shelves in a generally horizontal articlecarrying position, a vertically shiftable release bar located between the side plates and rearward of the shelves, said bar being movable away from and back to a retracted position, means extending alongside and closely adjacent one of the side plates from the rear to the front of the assessemagazine for operating the bar to effect movement thereof away from and back to its retracted position, means on the bar for engaging the latch for the lowermost shelf and moving it out of latching engagement with the lowermost shelf upon movement of the bar away from its retracted position, a series of latch-operating members, one for each of the latches for the shelves above the lowermost shelf, carried by the bar, each of said latch-operating members being mounted on the bar for movement between a retracted position and a latch-engaging position and being biased toward its latch-engaging position, each of said latch-operating members, when in latch-engaging position, being adapted to engage the latch for the respective shelf and move it out of latching engagement therewith upon movement of the bar away from its retracted position, and each shelf, when latched in articlecarrying position, being engageable with the latch-operating member for the shelf next above to hold the said latch-operating member in retracted position.

2. Article-dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 1 I wherein the latches are mounted for vertical sliding movement and the latch-operating members are pivoted on the release bar.

3. Article-dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the latches are mounted for vertical sliding movement and gravity biased downward to latching position, and wherein the release bar is gravity biased downward to its retracted position and movable upward away from its retracted position for effecting upward movement of V the latches to release the shelves.

4. Article-dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein the latch-operating members are pivoted on the release bar.

5. Article-dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means operable by the uppermost shelf upon release thereof for locking the means for operating the release bar out of operation.

6. Article-dispensing mechanism comprising a magazine having side plates and being open at the front, a plurality of shelves each having a downwardly directed flange at its rearward end and being mounted between the side plates one above another for pivotal movement about horizontal axes transverse to said plates at the lower edges of the flanges, said axes being located toward the rear of the magazine, each shelf having a latch lug and a cam lug on the back of its said flange, a series of latches, one for each shelf, located at the rear of the shelves, said latches being mounted for movement independently of one another into and out of latching engagement with the latch lugs and normally occupying a latching position for holding the shelves in a generally horizontal article-carrying position, a vertically shiftable release bar located rearward of the shelves, said bar being movable away from and back to a retracted position, means for operating the bar to effect movement away from and back to its retracted position, means on the bar for engaging the latch for the lowermost shelf and moving it out of latching engagement with the latch lug of the lowermost shelf upon movement of the bar away from its retracted position, a series of latch-operating members, one for each of the latches for the shelves above the lowermost shelf, carried by the bar, each of said latch-operating members being mounted on the bar for movement between a retracted position and a latch-engaging position and being biased toward its latch-engaging position, each of said latchoperated members, when in latch-engaging position, being adapted to engage the latch for the respective shelf and move it out of latching engagement with the respective latch lug upon movement of the bar away from its retracted position, and the cam lug of each shelf, when the shelf is latched in article-carrying position, being engageable with the latch-operating member for the shelf next above to hold the said latch-operating member in retracted position. I

7. Article-dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein the latches are mounted for verticalsliding move ment on a fixed vertical bar at the rear of the shelves and are gravity biased downward to latching position, wherein the release bar is gravity biased downward to its retracted position and movable upward away from its retracted position for efiecting upward movement of the latches to release the shelves, and wherein the latch-operating members are pivoted on the release bar.

8. Article-dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means for operating the release bar comprises a push-pull rod at one side of the magazine and means operable by the rod upon pulling'it forward for engaging the release bar, and operable upon return of the rod for lifting the bar and then releasin'g it to allow it to drop down to its retracted position.

9. Tripping mechanism for a series of trippable members comprising a series of latches, one for each of said members, said latches being mounted for movement indedependently of one another into and out of latching engagement with said members and normally occupying a latching position for holding said members in a latched position, a shiftable release bar adjacent said members and latches, said bar being movable away from and back to a retracted position, means for operating the bar to effect movement away from and ,back to its retracted position, means on the bar for engaging the latch for a first of said members and moving it out of latching engagement with said first member upon movement of the bar away from its retracted position, a series of latch-operating members, one for each of the latches for the remainder of said members, carried by the bar, each of said latchoperating members being mounted on thebar for movement between a retracted position and a-latch-engaging position and being biased toward its latch-engaging position, each of said latch-operating members, when in latchengaging position, being adapted to engage the latch for the respective member and move it out of latching engagement therewith upon movement of the bar away from its retracted position, and each member, when in its latched position, being engageable with the latch-operating member for the next member to hold the said latch-op- 'erating member in retracted position.

10. Tripping mechanism as set forth in claim 9 wherein the latch-operating members are pivoted on the release bar.

11. Article-dispensing mechanism comprising a magazine having side plates and being open at the front, a plurality of shelves, pivot means for the shelves mounting them between the side plates one above another for pivotal movement about horizontal axes transverse to said plate-s, said axes being located toward the rear of the magazine and spaced inwardly from the rear edges of the side plates, a series of latches, one for each shelf, means engageable by the latches for latching the shelves in a generally horizontal article-carrying position, means mounting the latches between the side plates at the rear of the shelves for movement independently of one another into and out of latching engagement with said latch engageable means, said latches normally occupying a latching position in engagement with said latch-engageable means for holding the shelves in a generally horizontal article-carrying position, a release bar extending vertically in the rear of the shelves between the side plates and movable away from and back to a retracted position, bar-actuating means extending alongside and closely adjacent one of the side plates from the rear to the front of the magazine for moving the bar away from and back to its retracted position upon each actuation of said bar-actuating means, means on the bar for engaging the latch for the lowermost shelf and moving it out of latching engagement with the lowermost shelf upon operation of the bar, a series of latch-operating members, one for each of the latches for the shelves above the lowermost shelf, means mounting said latch-operating members between the side plates at the rear of the shelves for movement between a retracted position and a latch-engaging position, means biasing each latch-operating member toward its latch-engaging position, each of said latch-operating members being movable by said bar and, when in latch-engaging position, being adapted to engage the latch for the respective shelf and move it out of latching engagement therewith upon operation of the bar, and each shelf having a part so located when the shelf is latched in article-carrying position as to engage a part of the latch-operating member forthe shelf next above to hold the said latch-operating member in retracted position.

12. Article-dispensing mechanism comprising a magazine having side plates and being open at the front, a plurality of shelves each having a downwardly directed flange at its rearward end, pivot means for the shelves mounting them between the side plates one above another for pivotal movement about horizontal axes transverse to said plates at the lower edges of the flanges, said axes being located toward the rear of the magazine and spaced inwardly from the rear edges of the side plates, a series of latches, one for each shelf, means engageable by the latches for latching the shelves in a generally horizontal article-carrying position, means mounting the latches between the side plates at the rear of the shelves for movement independently of one another into and out of latchthe rear to the front of the magazine for moving the bar away from and back to its retracted position upon each actuation of said bar-actuating means, means on the bar for engaging the latch for the lowermost shelf and moving it out of latching engagement with the lowermost shelf upon operation of the bar, a series of latch-operating members, one for each of the latches for the shelves above the lowermost shelf, means mounting said latch-operating members between the side plates at the rear of the shelves for movement between a retracted position and a latchengaging position, means biasing each latch-operating member toward its latch-engaging position, each of said latch-operating members being movable by said bar and, when in latch-engaging position, being adapted toengage the latch for the respective shelf and move it out of latching engagement therewith upon operation of the bar, and the flange of each shelf having a part so located when the shelf is latched in article-carrying position as to engage a part of the latch-operating member for the shelf next above to hold the said latch-operating member in retracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

